Used our local laundromat in Half Moon Bay for a few weeks while I purchased a new washing machine.  Although I actually enjoyed this "adventure", I was reminded just how inconvenient and expensive a laundromat can be.  I was thankful that my trips to the laundromat were temporary, and that I had my own house with a laundry room, and that I had clothes to wash.  So one morning just before Christmas I brought donuts, hot coffee, clementine oranges, bananas and laundry detergent to the laundromat to share.  Turned out to be great timing because it was raining, so the day laborers who normally hang out at the park next to the laundromat were all huddled under the laundromat awning trying to stay warm and dry.  The food and coffee were gone in a few minutes and everyone seemed very appreciative.          Anonymous

"I was as the grocery store and the person behind me only had a few items, so I let him go in front of me.  Then, before the checker had a chance to start ringing up my groceries another person showed up behind me with only one item (he already bought groceries but forgot one item), so I let him go in front too.  I wasn't running late or in a hurry, so it was a pleasure to be able to take the time to let them go first."   Annette Saunders

I had some computer needs that were beyond my rudimentary scope so I hired an old friend as a consultant to help me. She responded immediately which really reduced my stress. Then she tried out the things I needed to do on her own computer. Then she came right over like a doctor making an emergency house call and walked me through the traumatic episode...but it wasn't traumatic! She made it fun and easy. What a difference a great teacher makes to a daunting task... and then she wouldn't take payment, but instead, instructed me to pass it forward.

So, today when a group of corporate bullies wouldn't move out of the way to make room for one more passenger on the crouwded subway, I backed up into them and invited the greatful young woman to step on.

 "We just had a couple of rooms inside our house painted by two painters who seemed very eager to have the work.  They were kind and did a good job.  When they were done we paid each of them $200 as promised.  Although we are tight on money right now - we figured they were even tighter -  so we tipped each of them $50.  They looked very surprised and happy.  We watched them from our upstairs window as they walked to their truck - they were so happy they were jumping up and down and jubilantly kicking their legs up in the air.  Worth every penny."    Anonymous

My daughter and I were having lunch at a small but popular Indonesian cafe.  My daughter noticed that 3 people entered, but seeing there were no tables large enough available, they started to leave.  My daughter and I had been seated at a table for 4, so we motioned to the people to take our table and we moved to a table for two.  The people were surprised but happy - I guess the restaurant owners probably were too!

This is a DOUBLE ROAK!
First Roak: a former quartet member of California One (a quartet my dad sang in for ten years) took the time to write a very nice letter about our dad and sent along copies of a sketch he had made of Jim all suited up for a bike ride. It was especially nice because it arrived on my birthday. Thank you Rene'! But how did it get delivered with the incorrect street number 17 shown in the address?

Second Roak: The letter and sketches were misdelivered to an address four blocks away on a street where there was a number 17.  The customs tag on Rene's envelope specified "sketches done by sender and a sympathy letter" so the resident of #17 felt compelled to find the correct recipient. She tried the internet but came up empty because the envelope was addressed to my maiden name. She went on foot and canvassed the neighborhood for anyone on the correct street who might know a Kathleen Saunders. A few people knew of a home where a Kathleen lived and so she delivered the envelope there. Then she used reverse directory to get the phone number and called to alert the residents of #14 about the envelope. Happy ending!

That is exactly the kind of thing Jim would have done in the same determined fashion until he had made things right.

As I was leaving CVS in Half Moon Bay, I saw a small, elderly woman whose car was parked in a handicapped spot outside the drugstore.  She had only one item in her cart, a carton of 7-Up.

 

I put it in her car for her and suddenly thought of Jim (coincidentally, this happened in August, the month of his birth).

 

The carton was a lot heavier than I expected and I was happy that I did it.

 

Peg Nordensten